Total Vision PC - Pasadena

I've been going to the eye doctor for 25 years, so i have a lot of context and experience. I can say with certainty that Total Vision Pasadena is the weirdest and most unprofessional experiences of my life. I visited 9 months ago and still shudder at how odd the whole thing was. The office manager was fairly unprofessional and the optometrist was totally phoning it in. I was proudly told that private equity bought the company, which really tracks. Now, almost 9 months later i get a bogus bill from the company, claiming i didnt have vision insurance. Just a nightmare experience that i thought i was done with, but clearly I'm not. sigh.

I was a patient of the previous office for a long time and continued my eye care at the new establishment of total vision. I have nothing against the optometrist but the staff is absolutely clueless of good customers service and being proactive. It is disappointing that even when they have said multiple times, they will keep the patient updated, they do no such thing. It’s been over a month that I have dropped my glasses for repair and every week I am told I have to wait another week to 10 days but I’ll get a call with an update. Today was another day I waited for a phone call, and since it wasn’t received - I called . No glasses for another 7-10 days . Ridiculous.

Dr Emily Thai and office manager Polette hid Total Vision’s insurance changes when I made my appointment and after my exam, charged me out-of-pocket, and then billed me again six months later for their own denied claims. I was a patient here for over a decade, even continuing to come after moving from Pasadena to Claremont. That loyalty was absolutely not returned. Since the transition to Total Vision, the transparency and professionalism that this practice used to have under Dr. Korth is gone. At my May 15, 2025 appointment, I was informed after an hour drive to their location they no longer accepted my insurance. After the exam I was then handed a nearly $1,000 bill and told I should go elsewhere for my contacts. I paid $165 out-of-pocket and left with nothing — no glasses, no contacts, no materials. Months later, despite being out-of-network at the time and despite telling me to use another provider, they submitted insurance claims for that visit anyway. VSP denied them (rightfully), and Total Vision then sent me a surprise $205 bill for their own late, improper submissions. I also emailed the office after the appointment, explaining that the lack of disclosure and the long drive from Claremont made the entire visit a waste of time and asking for a refund of the $165. They never responded. I called three different times and emailed about the surprise $205 bill — also no response. The lack of honesty, communication, and basic respect for patients is shocking. I paid for an appointment that led nowhere, received absolutely nothing, and was then billed again months later for mistakes I did not make. This practice used to operate with integrity. Now it feels like profit comes first and the patient experience is an afterthought. Updated 2/9/25 - After being told my $205 bill would be written off, I’m still receiving statements as of 1/31/26. This office should be avoided at all costs.

The office is located in a large strip mall across the street from Cedars Sinai Huntington Memorial Hospital with free share parking spaces The office is very modern with several display windows of frames. The entrance there is reception desk with a friendly staff. There is a full staff of optometrists and opticians on duty. There are two opticians Elissa and Laura. Elissa helped me select a pair of new frames bifocals glasses for my computer use. She carefully fitted the glasses on my face. The office was closing when the pictures were taken.

The staff were extremely friendly and very approachable. Paulette was super knowledgeable and had great communication answering any questions I had. I would absolutely recommend anyone that needs prescription or non prescription glasses or contacts come to Total Vision in Pasadena. I will definitely be using them again!